Take Responsibility.

[kingmakereffect]

For the third time, those elevator doors at the end of the first-floor corridor open up at the end of the allotted investigation period; the ride down is, as ever, smooth and quick-moving. You're down by five. When the doors slide open, the podium circle still stands in stark contrast to that now-familiar black void of a courtroom, and once again, it's changed to reflect your losses – Caren and Mion have joined those with podiums draped in black, their framed greyscale profile portraits staring out at the rest of you. (The portrait of Pearl hasn't been removed from her room, but it seems the Kingmaker has replaced it with another; either way, her photograph is in the courtroom along with the rest.) As before, the Kingmaker waits until everyone is settled at their podiums before he speaks; he still isn't visible, but he can clearly be heard, his voice coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "Capable has been taken from you. I'll confirm one thing for you so no one will waste time asking – the killer wasn't me. Looks like the guilty decided to take a shot at Rule Seven after all – and whether they succeed or not is up to you." Twenty-two Survivors remain. We'll see how many the group has lost at the end of the day.

Comments

[wokeupdead]

[Unlike last week Lynne forces herself to watch this one the whole way through. She promised Yato she would be brave and looking away from his final moments feels like anything but to her. That doesn't mean she can stomach the entire macabre scene without flinching. She may be a detective but she's spoiled and deep down she knows it. She has to be the best she can be to get them all out of here but right now... she wonders if she can keep that up.

Goodnight, Regaled.

She wipes a tear out of her eye, now is not the type, but it just keeps going. And going. And going. Her grip on the podium is white knuckled when it finally goes dark.

In complete silence she enters the elevator and leaves.]